The true Boots St Clair
by ilovexmas
Summary: I now it might come as a surprise to you all but i have decided to give BOOTS ST. CLAIR some credit and so here i find myself writing a story about her inner self and the relationship she is about to experience with JO and BLAIR. Hope you enjoy it and let me know how i can improve my story.


**The true Boots St. Clairs**

Boots St. Clair's was not really like everyone thought she was, sure she was spoiled and rude but underneath her mask hid a very vulnerable and tender heart and what she desperately needed was a true friend, someone who understood her for who she was and not what she pretended to be.

Being a mixed child hadn't been easy for her either: her mother, a Mexican who had met her Irish-American father while working as his maid during the early 1960ies at the tender age of 18 had fallen head over hills in love with the blond haired young man, and after a year or so they had eloped to get married far away from the upper class white family who had since then inherited their only son. But that was back then and Boots wasn't about to let that happen to her because when she was going to marry it would be under the respectable eyes of the American society; She had being lucky though because after her birth her 'American grandparents' had decided to forgive their only son and accept her as their only granddaughter. She sights regretfully: why on earth didn't their parents have other kids beside her? Had it being the case she is convinced that would have made her a better person and a lot happier than she was feeling now…

"Hey Blair wait up will you?!" _Joanne Polniaczek. _Boots St. Clair's worst enemy since she could remember and she had had her share of unhappiness back in her high school years:

**5 years earlier**

'_Hey Bootsie don't you know you have to knock before entering? We have been more than kind to invite a mixed blood like you into our group: after all, your mother is foreign and even though your father is white you are still Mexican…..'_

'_I am American!' _An outraged young Boots exclaims humiliated. She had done everything to fit in with those rich blond girls but all they ever saw in her where her darker complexion: she had inherited her mother's dark hair and olive skin although she was rather slender and tall, unlike the Mexican woman who was rather short and plump. Feeling the tears coming down her eyes Boots takes a run leaving the snobbish girls stare after her.

'_For as long as I live I will never let anybody belittle me the way those rich blonde girls have done! I may be mixed but my father comes from an upper class family and my modest mother has been accepted into my grandparent's family for a long time now. One day I will show those snobbish girls that I can be as good as them! One day…..'_

Now back in the present Boots St. Clair's wasn't so sure she had accomplished her mission: she had been at Oakland College for over a year now and the 19 year old girl had been running after the elegant **Blair Warner **since day one. Ever since laying her eyes on the gorgeous blond young woman she had being attracted by the popular status the debutante had as well as the self- assurance she possessed. Blair Warner had everything the pretty brunette had ever wanted: good looks, popularity, guys, good grades but most of all real friends….. Boots couldn't ever recall having had a true friend (not even in primary school) and she wondered now why? Was it because she had tried so hard to impress everyone faking a 'snobbish and mean' personality she didn't even possess? The truth is, she had put on the 'mask' many years ago to protect herself from anyone above her, and later on it had been difficult to remove it. Now she had to live on with the hard fact that no one (but herself) knew the real Boots St. Clair's and so of course only the 'rich snobbish girls' form the sorority club: a club she had registered herself to, and had insisted on Blair Warner to attend in a desperate last chance to become a good friend to her. Needless to say, the rich debutante had changed her mind after a long deep talk to her 'Eastland family': Edna Garret (the owner of a Gourmet shop + the girl's confidante and mother), Natalie (a plump adorable girl Boots had tried to befriend just last year or more like use after a weak attempt to let her write on a the College newspapers), Tootie (Dorothy was one of the few African-American girls at school and very sweet), Jo Polniaczek (her worst nightmare who had worked her way up from a very poor family thanks to her dedication and her ability to study well) was everything she ever despised in a person: poor, a delinquent, tough, arrogant and a tomboy who had done everything to sabotage the chance of a possible friendship with Blair Warner (the best looking girl at college who came from the richest family in America) who was all the Boots St. Clair's had ever wanted to be: blonde, rich, popular, loved by everyone and who only dated what was best.

What she possibly couldn't understand was, how two people so opposite from one another: Jo Polniaczek aka Blair Warner spent so much time (free time) with each other. When she first met those two she could have swear they hated one another and so she had been overjoyed because it meant she had a chance to get close to the gorgeous blond, nevertheless she soon realized it was all appearance: underneath the tough delinquent she could see a kind heart and underneath the snobbish debutante a warm personality, and so it became apparent Jo Polniaczek and Blair Warner were two of a kind and the closest roommate here at Langley College.

Boots St. Clair's sights feeling utterly alone and longing for someone she could talk to. She looks around seeing pairs everywhere and once again wishes she had sisters like Blair, Nat & Tootie and a mother like Mrs Garret.

_Mrs Garret….. _The red haired lady was truly a remarkable woman and the best human being Boots had ever seeing: from what she'd heard Edna had taken care of 4 girls (Blair, Jo, Nat & Tootie) after the troublemakers had gotten out of hand back in the high school years and adopted them since then.

'_Um what I would give to be one of them.' _The brunette thinks aloud. But of course she knew Edna Garret only thought of her as a spoiled brat with no manners and that brought tears into her eyes. Suddenly she hears laughter:

'Hey Tootie, Blair and Jo why don't we all go to the movies tonight?'

_Natalie Green…. _Every time Boots looked at her she couldn't stop from feeling guilty about the way she used her last year: the 16 year old junior had always been a wizard at school and wanting to skip her senior year she had attempted to try for an academic degree at Langley College with a little help from the snobbish brunette. The only reason Boots had agree was to seek revenge on **Joanne Polniazcek **and gain respect from debutante Blair Warner, and at first it had worked: Natalie Green had put all her passion into writing for the College's newspaper but when the brunette had decided to change a few lines everyone went ballistic and so she lost the debate…. That was then but Boots still felt the ache it was to be considered 'looser number 1' and she knew that no matter how hard she tried to be nice the 4 friends would never consider her to be part of them.

Natalie Green catches a glance at Boots St. Clair's and cannot help but feel compassion for the lonely brunette. She wonders how a person can sink so low and decides to help:

'Hey Boots what's up? Do you want to go to the movies with us too? You look kind of bored standing there by yourself so what do you say? Are you coming?'

The brunette smiles gratefully for a moment but then catches **Jo's Polniazcek **eyes and freezes: 'Gee Nat thanks but I've got more important things to do, maybe next time?'

'Let me guess what more important things to do you have _Bootsie,_ oh I know: the sorority club of course!' Jo's Polniazcek's sarcastic voice cuts like a knife through the brunette's delicate heart but she tries to hide her feelings as usual.

'You have guessed well as usual Jo so thank you girls but I have a busy agenda!' And with that Boots jumps up and down faking a smile on her face when all the while she is crying inside.

Blair Warner is observing the scene very closely, and for some reason she is not buying the snobbish brunette's act: 'Boots wait! If you change your mind and need someone to talk to you can always come to me, ok?'

The snobbish brunette cannot believe her ears looks at the debutante to see if she is honest. Of course she is and so Boots St. Clair's puts on her best act and shows a fake smile:

'Warnsie thank you so much for your offer but you know what a busy lady like me is doing most of the time…..'

'Waste her time annoying the hell out of people's life that's for sure!' She hears Jo's Polniazcek utters. Boots tries her best to mask her unhappiness and answers:

'You guessed well Joanne Polniazcek congratulations!'

'If I catch you saying my whole name again I will punch the hell out of you, do you hear me?' The tough ex delinquent exclaims.

As if on due Edna Garret makes an entrance: 'Girls will you please stop fighting?! _Joanne Polniaczek _I command you to stop harassing students once for all! And you _Bootsie _should know better than to upset my girls if you what's best for you, is that clear?'

_My girls…._A tear runs down Boots St. Clair's cheeks but she brushes away angrily and looking at the red haired lady in defiance she exclaims: 'Don't worry about _your girls_ because I wouldn't dream of harming them, and if you'll excuse me I have more important things to do….' With that the snobbish brunette walks out of the room leaving a very confused Edna stare after her.

'_I feel like I am having a deja vue, could it be? Blair was just like that when I first met her as a 14 year old brat and now Boots as a 19 year old girl but still so little and insecure inside….'_ The kind red haired lady decides to be kinder to the lonely brunette from now on. She brushes off her thoughts and goes back to the kitchen to prepare more of her famous quiches.

Meanwhile Boots St. Clair's is having one of her sorority nights but her heart is not on it and not knowing how to handle the situation she corners a new girl who has just joined them:

'What is your name and by the way do you speak English?' Everyone claps at her bullying and she grins with satisfaction. That was more like it and the more she mishandled the new foreign girl, the better she felt: 'hablas ingles chica?'Boots feels remorse when she sees the Latin girl begin to cry but decides to ignore it, after all nobody had compassion with her during her high school years when all she was trying to do was to fit in with all those 'American blond girls'. Hell, she didn't even speak _Spanish _but they never let her forget about her roots though: '_Your mother is a Mexican maid and you will never be one of us no matter how hard you try….'_ Suddenly she hears a strong deep voice that stops her dead in her tracks:

'Boots St. Clair's you will come with me right now even if I have to drag you out of those sorority girls, did you hear me?!' The voice belongs to no other than Edna Garret and even though the snobbish brunette is delighted to see one of her role model she decides to continue with the charade:

'I will not do such a thing so go away and stop bothering us ok? I am the head of the sorority club here and have the power to throw you out!' The snobbish brunette exclaims firmly but all the older red lady can see is a hurt and lonely soul, and so nevertheless she answers:

'Is that so? Well let me tell you something _Boots St. Clair's _you may have fooled the rest of the girls but not me: I happen to know that deep inside you are a very unhappy and lonely girl who wants nothing more than to be loved but who is incapable of being happy herself and nothing would give me more pleasure than to spank you right now, like I almost did to _Blair Warner _just 5 years ago when I set eyes on her as a snotty 14 year old girl….'

Boots St. Clair's has never been so furious in her life and so she screams: 'How dare you talk to me like a 10 year old girl when soon I'll be 20! You are not my mother and I am an adult now in case you happen to forget it. I may not be a saint like Natalie or Tootie but I surely deserve some respect, don't you think?'

Both women look at each other in defiance: 'You may be almost 20 years of age but you have not matured in the least since you were a 12 year old girl trying to fit in with your student fellows back in junior high and I know how everyone tried to bully you back then so don't deny it! It isn't easy being a mixed child but that doesn't give you the reason to torment other people, does it?!'

All Boots St. Clair's can do is burst into tears and it takes a strong and kind woman like Edna Garret to take her into her arms until necessary. 'You are so much like the Blair I knew back then and it is definitely a deja vue….'

The snobbish brunette is feeling so ashamed and wishes there was something she could do to repair all the damage she's done: 'You are really a mind reader Mrs Garret but please don't tell anything to _your girls_ will you?'

Edna Garret can sense envy in the snobbish brunette and tries to reassure her: 'You should try to be yourself and I am sure all _my girls_ will forgive you and like you for who you are, even _Jo._' Boots St. Clair's gives her a surprised look:

'But how did you know how I felt about Jo, Mrs Garret?'

'I am a very observant person and I also happen to know how you worship Blair Warner and let me tell you one thing before you go on: my _debutante _and _delinquent _only have eyes for each other I'm afraid, and the sooner you know it, the better so it would be a waste of time to try to impress either of them if you know what I mean.' The kind red haired lady takes the brunette's hands in hers:

'Please try to be yourself and I promise you everyone else will like you for who you are: a lost girl who deep down is kind and warm hearted and who deserves a second chance.'

That is all it takes for Boots St. Clair's to bury her head into Mrs Garret's chest: 'Please forgive me and I know I have been mean but I never wanted to be the bad guy, it just happened. Thanks for being here for me and I am glad you don't hate me….'

'Hate you?! I know a lost case when I see one and I knew you were trouble the first day I set my eyes on you but I decided to give you a chance to redeem yourself, and so tonight you have proved to me that you are kind at heart and also a very troubled soul who needs my help and so here I am to lend you a hand.'

Boots St. Clair's rubs her eyes and says in a very small voice: 'Really? Will you be my friend now even though I am not an angel?'

The older lady takes the younger one into her arms laughing: 'Of course I'll be your friend and I promise to keep you right. You will also have to improve your attitude toward my girls if you want to earn their love, even _Jo Polniazcek _and I know she's a tough one for you.'

The snobbish brunette groans: 'You know as well as I do that Jo hates my guts so that's impossible!'

'Nothing is impossible thinks the wise red haired lady remembering a long time ago when a spoiled debutante came into the delinquent's life and how life has a way to make two people as opposite to each other love one another and become inseparable…

'Well if you say so I will try to be on my best behaviour!' And so they walk arm in arm.

Joanne Polniazcek has just witness the exchange between her beloved guardian and spoiled brat Boots and decides to take action: 'Eh Mrs G! What on earth are you doing mingling with a loser like _Warnsie?_ Don't you know she's bad news and how she tried to corrupt Blair's reputation last year?!'

The red haired lady chooses her words carefully: 'Watch your language Jo and by the way, haven't you ever heard of giving people a second chance? Boots St. Clair's came to me today to redeem after behaving so cruelly all those years….'

The Bronx girl laughs mercilessly: 'Redeem herself?! You got to be kidding me Mrs G! Boots St. Clair's hasn't got one ounce of decency in her body to want to do such a thing and I know what I'm talking about: _Warnsie _did have a fair deepness in her soul but _Bootsie _is a lost case if you ask me…..'

Jo's Polniazcek laughter is like a knife cutting through Boots St. Clair's heart and once again she reaches for the easy way: 'Joanne Polniazcek you are so right to despise me and I wish there was something I could do to make you want to change your mind but I see it's a waste of time so let it be. Hate me all you can if it makes you happy.'

'You are of no meaning to me to even hate and a parasite like you should not even be alive on this earth so just forget about even coming close to us.'

Just then Blair Warner comes to the rescue: 'Joanne Polniazcek where is your compassion?! Hasn't Boots St. Clair's suffered enough the last couple of years for you to bring more unhappiness into her life?'

Boots smiles gratefully at the kind debutante and longs so much for a close bond with her. Blair in return takes her hand in hers and looks at her reassuringly. Things would be alright from now on she senses. Suddenly she looks apprehensively at the tough brunette who then exclaims without mercy:

'stay out of it _Farrah_!' (A nickname the debutante had earned when they first met 5 years ago on the 1st day at school September 1980): ever since then Jo and Blair had had their share of battle and enjoyed teasing one another…. Now back in 1985 and almost young adult things were a lot harder for girls like Boots St. Clair's who had no friends or confidante to back her up so it was up to Blair Warner to take things into her hands.

'How would you like to join our little group Boots, I could lend you a hand with your studies if you let me take part of the sorority club? What do you say? Is that a deal or what?'

Joanne Polniazcek could not believe her ears and did what she could best: 'How would you like me to rearrange your face _Farrah? _I'm sure a good punch would do you good, don't you?'

Blair Warner's reaction to the tough brunette is a classic: 'Save your saliva you _greasy monkey! _I know you well enough by now to know that you will never harm me ok? We have got to deal with _Bootsie _here now she says in an affectionate way and earns a grin from the ex-delinquent.

Boots St. Clair's has not missed the exchange between the two best friends and feels a pang in her heart: why could she not have a close friend too, someone who knew here more than herself and who would ground her also when needed? She sights unhappily.

Just then Natalie and Tootie enter the room and seeing the scene exclaim in unison: 'What's wrong with _Bootsie?_' They both put their arm around the snobbish brunette's shoulders.

'Nothing is wrong with _Bootsie, _alright?' exclaims Blair in a no nonsense voice. 'We were just taking that's all.

'Shrugging it off the two younger best friends walk out of the room leaving Boots St. Clair's look at them with envy. Tootie was a 16 year old a junior and Natalie a 17 year old senior who would be attending Langley College if she decided to register for it in September and she knew they had their life ahead of them and that in 3 more years, college would be over and so would be her happiness so for now she decides to grab everything she can. Suddenly a thought occurs to her: maybe she should try to befriend her 'arch enemy' Jo Poniaczek, that way she'd get through her idol Blair and find out all there was to know about the debutante's golden life…..

A week later Boots spots the Bronx girl in the college corridor carrying heavy books: "Hey Jo let me help you with those books, shall i?"

For a minute the tough brunette stares at the snobbish girl with suspicion. Why would a debutante like her want to lend her a hand and what was she up too? Without taking her eyes from the dark haired beauty she reluctantly agrees: "all right but don't try anything funny on me or I'll punch the life out of you, do you hear me?"

"I wouldn't dream of it!" Boots St. Clair breaths in relief: Things were working her way and soon enough she'd be close to Blair as she always dreamed she'd be…..

Just as she is about to carry some of the ex-delinquents books she bumps accidentally face to face with her and the minute she smells the faint perfume Jo is wearing her heart bumps very fast and she finds herself weakening at her touch:

"Are you ok, _Bootsie?"_ Jo's concern over the snobbish girl comes as a surprise to her: since when did she start caring for the _Latin beauty _when all along there's being nothing but hate between both of them, yet now all she could think of was how tender and full those lips were and how fragile she looked…..

Boots on the other hand had never felt more protected as the moment the tough brunette lays her hand on her shoulder trying to steady her and if she was honest to herself she loved the effect the Bronx girl had on her. _"But I hate her!"_ She tries to reason and deep down she hears the little voice everyone has, telling her without mercy: "_you know very well that there is a step between hate and love and that what you were feeling all alone for the Bronx trouble maker was admiration and attraction indeed so face it! You LOVE HER!"_

Jo is looking at Boots with mixed feelings: deep down she knows she ought to hate the troublemaker who has been nothing but hateful from day one but for some reason she finds herself wanting to grab the lonely girl and kiss her hard on the lips…._"What the hell is wrong with me for wanting Bootsie so much when everyone knows how much we hate each other?! Am I losing it now or what?!" _

Suddenly they see a group of students approach them and the magic is gone…..

"Thanks for trying to help me with the books Boots but I got to go now so bye!" And with that the brunette walks as fast as she can, leaving the dark haired girl stare after her bewildered.

A minute later the snobbish girl enters her room and closes the door feeling her heart beat like a hammer and cannot remember the last time she'd felt so lightheaded and happy in her life and comes with a sudden realization:** Jo **was the one she'd love all along and not **Blair! **She grimaces at the discovery and feels a pang of guilt in her soul or more like remorse. She hears MRS G's voice again and cringes: "_my debutante and delinquent only have eyes for each other….."_ Gasping for air Boots only knows too well how much heartache she is about to get, because there is nothing worse than a unrequired love and her only hope was to try to forget and get over it before it was too late.

In the following weeks that follows Blair notices a change of attitude towards Jo and wonders if her roommate and best friend is getting homesick or worse, was she in love and in that case: who was the _Mr right _and where was he?

Suddenly Boots St Clair walks down the corridor and Blair doesn't miss the glance the Bronx girl is giving to the snobbish girl, and misjudging her she takes her arms: "Joey don't be too harsh on Boots all right? She's been through a lot lately and the best you can do is to ignore her and not try to provoke her, please?"

Jo looks directly into the debutante's eyes and feel a pang of guilt: lately all she had been able to think about was the last brief encounter she'd had with Boots and she wonders what her 'Eastland family' would say if she came to them and blurted to them that she had fallen in love with the most detestable girl in the college…. _"Wait a minute, did I just say love?! No way! I hate the guts of Boots and nothing would give me more pleasure than to rearrange her face!"_ Suddenly a vision of a vulnerable dark haired Latin girl crosses her mind and she realizes that what she feels for Boots is love and hate at the same time: _"Just the way I felt the first time I set my eyes on the Warner princess…."_ Sighing with difficulty the tough brunette decides to have a word alone with the Latin beauty and ignoring the blonde debutante's perplexed look she grabs a surprised Boots roughly in the arm and pushes her out of the corridor and into an empty room.

"Get your hands of me bitch or I'll scream!" yells Boots furiously.

"Shut up or I'll have to teach you a lesson!" yells Jo back.

Suddenly they are facing each other and after a minute the Bronx girl grabs the snobbish girl and plants the harshest kiss ever leaving her gasping for more:

"Kiss me hard again Joey, please…."

The tough brunette willingly obeys but this time she kisses her with passion and realizes how much she is enjoying having the spoiled brat in her arms. To her Boots is like what she can imagine would be like having Blair in her arms and suddenly she is sure of something: she may be attracted to Boots but **love **is what she felt for the debutante although she would never admit it to her.

She tries to detangles herself from the dark beauty but all Boots can think of now is how important Jo had become to her and that she was her **rock.**

"Please Joey don't ever leave me and hold me tightly again! Forgive me for giving you such a hard time and behaving like a nasty brat but it was all an act: I thought I was in love with **Blair **and tried to use you but you are the one I **love **baby so…."Jo pushes her hard on the floor before exploding:

"You used me to get through **the princess**?!"

"Please Joey don't hate me and listen to me, I felt lonely and Blair has always been the kind of girl I dreamed of and don't look at me like that, yes I think I might be bisexual. I have dated a bunch of boys naturally but never felt the way I feel around you and to tell you the truth I am very surprised because I have hated your guts from the very first moment although now I am not so sure… Maybe it had always been love but I was too self – centred to see it and so now I have to suffer the consequences." Boots pauses for a minute never taking her eyes of the Bronx girl's face. God! She really did love the toughness of the ex-delinquent and finds herself wishing she could be **Blair** just for an instant because deep down she knew that all the love Jo had was kept for the blond debutante and no one else: she had seen more than once the look the Bronx girl had given to Blair even during their more hitting arguments, a look that could only mean **love…..**

Jo is having a hard time wanting to slap Boots face but at the same time wanting to take her in her arms and to plant her kisses all over her body. She knows deep down it is Blair she loves but at the same time she feels tenderness towards the troubled Latin beauty that seems to need someone desperately.

Taking Jo's hesitation as a first move suddenly Boots grabs her and plants a hard kiss on the tough's brunette's lips making her loose her balance and they both fall down the bed breathlessly and lock tongues with one another when the unexpected happen and they hear a loud chill voice:

"How could you betray me like this Joey, how could you?"

And a very astonished and guilty _delinquent _finds herself staring into a tearful and heart breaking _debutante…._

**This is my first chapter about BOOTS as a main character (although JO and BLAIR come as second) and I am hoping to be able to develop the relationship between the threesome some further. I don't know how the story will unfold but so far I am working on my second chapter and hope you will all enjoy reading it and look forward to reading some reviews and want to thank all the people who have support me in the past…..**


End file.
